


Live in Philly

by EveandJohnny



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band), Halestorm
Genre: Concerts, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-10
Updated: 2016-01-03
Packaged: 2018-05-06 01:13:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5397341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EveandJohnny/pseuds/EveandJohnny
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I didn't plan a second chapter to this but I got asked to do so and now I'm quite glad I wrote it.</p>
        </blockquote>





	1. Meeting For The First Time

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Not sleeping](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/162173) by Liv (michaelxcastaway.tumblr.com). 



“Guys, I know what we're gonna do tonight!” Ashton called from next door.

The other band members looked up lazily when he entered the room. 5 Seconds Of Summer where in Philadelphia today as they had a gig tomorrow but now had a day off. The heavy rain outside had prevented them from strolling around the city and meeting their fans who didn't even know they were in town already.

“So, what is it?” Luke sounded not really interested as he was still tired from their flight from L.A.

“Well, there's gonna be a concert by Halestorm in one of the clubs tonight. You know, this band with that badass lead singer. What was her name?” He scrolled down the page on his phone. “Oh yeah, Lzzy, without the 'i'.”

Michael leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “And you're sure they're good?” he asked.

Ashton rolled his eyes. “Oh, for Christ's sake! It is you who turned on the volume whenever they're on the radio.”

Michael was confused. “Which song do you mean?”

It was really hard for Ashton to keep calm. “That Lindsey Stirling song, 'Shatter Me', yeah? Lzzy's singing there.”

Michael's face lit up. “Oh, right, 'course. Yes, her voice is incredible. I'm in for the concert tonight. What about you, Cal?”

Calum hadn't said anything yet, he was still scrolling through his Instagram account.

Without looking up he said “Yeah, sure. Why not. Better than sitting here all night.”

Now both Ashton and Michael had their eyes on Luke.

He looked up when he felt their gaze on him. “Oh, okay. Yeah, let's go there.”

Ashton got up. “Awesome, I'll get us the tickets then.”

 

Later that day the four approached the venue where already a bunch of people was waiting.

“Do you think we can just queue in as well? Or will they recognize us?” Michael whispered.

Ashton examined the queue and then shrugged. “Maybe some might know us, but I guess most of them have never heard of us.”

So they stood in line patiently waiting and chatting away until the security let them inside the club. It was a rather small venue approximately hosting about 200 people, a rather enormous contrast to the arena where they would play tomorrow which hosts usually up to 10.000 people. So that was a little disturbing but simultaneously also quite calming.

The supporting band was relatively okay as far as Michael was concerned but he could see that his friends were not too fond of all that screaming the singer produced up there. You couldn't understand a single word of the lyrics. So they were indeed relieved when the support act exited the stage and the anticipation around them grew. He even found himself shouting with the masses to make Halestorm come out. Finally the lights went down and he could see shadowy shapes scurrying around the stage. He took up shouting again.

Suddenly he heard this strong, distinctive voice asking them “Are you ready Philly?” and the lights were turned on, blinding him for a moment before his eyes had adjusted to the brightness. He finally had a picture to this very special voice that sang “Shatter Me”. Lzzy was a lean figure with undone looking hair, dressed allover in leather and high boots. Boy, could this band rock! Ashton on his side was already far into banging his head and the other two to his left were dancing as well. It was really hard not to move to this driving beat and Lzzy's powerful voice.

   They were about halfway into the concert when Lzzy made an announcement. “So, as some of you may know we recently had a very special collaboration. We got to be featured on the soundtrack of the new 'twilight' movie which is hella lot different than the movies before. I think you should check it out. One of the reasons for this is the author behind all this. And we're pleased to tell you folks that she is with us tonight to rock.”

Now Michael was curious. He had heard of the movie marginally but had never really paid attention. What he knew of 'twilight' though was very much different of what he would associate with Halestorm. His thoughts were interrupted by the just introduced author/singer. Standing in the middle of the crowd, he could see a chubby young woman, probably his age, in a black top of the band Within Temptation (he had never heard of), tight-fitting shorts, blue tights and high-heeled studded leather boots. Her brown hair was a little messy and he could see how nervous she was to stand on the stage.

“Hi everybody!” she said with a slightly trembling voice and clutched her microphone.

He almost pitied her. But then, after she had a little less shakingly introduced the next song he knew without a doubt that there was no wronger feeling about her than pity. As soon as she started singing she radiated confidence. She sang differently than Lzzy, more bluesy and harmonic. He liked her immediately. The way she moved her hands to emphasize the lyrics or closed her eyes when there was a high passage to sing. It was enchanting. The song itself was different to what he had heard all evening. Suddenly, there even was an orchestra playing in the background.

 When they had finished the song she wanted to say goodbye but Lzzy interrupted her.

“Do you really want to go already? Things are just heating up here.” She turned to the crowd calling “Do you really want to let her go?”

The fans roared back in unison, stating that they wanted to hear more of her. Michael was among those shouting the loudest.

A shy smile crept on her face and her cheeks blushed a little. “Well, well, I don't want to disappoint you. What are we going to sing now, dear Lzzy.”

Like old friends, Lzzy put one arm around her. “Well, what do you wanna sing then?”

She winked and in that moment it became clear, at least to Michael, that all this was just show. Well, not everything, but surely the want-to-leave and what-to-sing. But he didn't mind. As long as she stayed he didn't mind. Thinking about that, he missed the title of the upcoming song. It was again different, gloomier and and a little depressive but the perfect choice for her. He could see her blossom up on the stage and when the song was over she suggested another song. Now it was obvious that this was not planned.

Lzzy just smiled and shrugged. “We should ask the crowd but I guess they're in.”

She couldn't even finish the sentences but was silenced by the shouting masses. The two women just nodded, smiling.

“We need a really good get-out for her” the drummer called from the background.

“Yes, my dear brother, something good to chuck her out. And I already have an idea. What are we here for?”

Michael heard answers like “to rock”, “to have a good time” or “to freak out”.

As soon as that caught her ear, she smiled. “Oh, did I hear 'to freak out'? I guess, that's the correct answer, ain't it, Lzzy?”

Lzzy just smiled a little cunning, the drummer counted in and everyone around him lost it. He was not sure what was going on or which song he was going to hear so he looked around for his mates. But the only one next to him was Ashton.

He leaned in to him and asked “Where have the others gone?”

Ashton shrugged. “Dunno. Just said they wanted to leave.”

Michael shook his head. How could they leave? This was an awesome show with a very handsome co-singer for the recent three songs. The current one was really a good throw-out. The five on the stage were rocking as if their lives depended on it. Even she had lost all self-doubt and was competing with Lzzy for the high notes. When finally they had belted out the last word, she took a deep breath and seemed as happy as she'd never been before. A sudden urge pulsed through him and he wished desperately to meet her, to talk about this most extraordinary experience with her and to just enjoy that moment of happiness with her. She waved a last time and then disappeared from the stage.

  
With her gone, it seemed as if he would never meet her again. He shoved his hands deep in the pockets of his black jeans and suddenly touched his backstage pass for their gig tomorrow. An idea grew in his mind. He pushed his way through the crowd to the left side of the stage hoping that there was an entrance. Ah yes, there it was. A quite intimidating bouncer guarded the door.

“Pass?” he asked with a booming voice. Michael took it out and handed it to him, not utterly sure of what would happen next. The bouncer eyed his pass for a very long time and Michael already saw his hopes dashed. He was surprised when the bouncer took out his phone, seemed to google something and then held the phone next to Michael.  
“Well, you do look like that kid. And the pass seems to be legit. Go get in.” He handed him his pass and nodded to the door.

Michael was perplex for a moment but then quickly rushed through the door before the bouncer could change his mind. He found himself in a clear, unappealing concrete hallway that made a sharp right turn a few yards in front of him. He followed it until he reached the band rooms. From here, presumably right underneath the stage, he could hear Halestorm rocking another bass-driven song. The door next to him bore the sign “Special Guest”. He wasn't sure if that meant her or the support act so he just knocked and when a female voice called him in he knew he was right. The supporting band had been all-male. Just now he realized what he was about to do and he started to sweat heavily. That wouldn't make a good first impression. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and finally pushed the door open.

You couldn't say who mas more startled: he or the girl sitting on a swivel chair combing her hair.

“Hi” he said with a scratching voice, than coughed and started again. “I mean, hi, I'm Michael.”

She got up. “Nice to meet you, I'm Johnny.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Johnny? But you're a girl.”

She nodded. “That is somewhat short for Josephine. One day my dad called me that and the name then got stuck. Have you been to the concert?” She couldn't help but blush although her demeanor was relatively confident.

Relieved that there was no awkward silence between them, he answered “Oh yeah, together with my mates, but, uhm, two of them have already left.”

She frowned. “Why?”

He shrugged apologetically. “Dunno, sorry for that. It wasn't surely because of you. You were awesome, really epic performance.”

She blushed a little more. “D'you think? Really? Because that was actually my first appearance on a rock show on stage. I've never done this before.”

Now he goggled, utterly bewildered by what she had just testified. “That's impossible! You were absolutely professional. I know what I'm talking about.”

She smiled thankfully and shyly touched his arm before she indicated the couch. “Have a seat, please. Yeah, I know you have a lot of experience on stage. Do you have a gig in Philly or are you just stopping by for the concert?” He was impressed that she didn't make a fuzz about him being in such a widely recognized band like 5 Seconds of Summer. Every girl he'd ever encountered freaked out when she saw one of the band. But for her, it seemed, was it either nothing special or she didn't want to be that normal fangirl. Whatever it was, he was pleased by it.

 Before they even realized it, they had chatted away an hour or so. Then Michael's phone buzzed. Ashton was calling. While he was still fumbling with his phone she checked her watch.

“He probably wants to know where you are. You've been here for over an hour. The concert's already over as well.”

He just raised his eyebrows as an answer as he now had Ashton on the phone. “Dude, where are you? I've been looking for you everywhere. Let's meet outside, okay?”

“Alright, see you in a few minutes.” He hung up and looked to her. “So, yeah, I gotta go now.”

She shrugged. “Sure, don't want to keep him waiting. Are there still tickets for your show tomorrow?”

Immediately, he got enthusiastic. “'Course there are! But wait, no, I'll set you on the guest list and get you a backstage pass. Just... just meet me tomorrow for lunch, will ya? I invite you.” He was a little surprised about his words but they were said before he could take them back. He didn't even want to take them back.

She smiled again, oh, he was already addicted to this smile. “Would be a pleasure to spend lunch with you. Just text me when and where exactly and I'll be there.”

He couldn't believe his luck. They got up and walked over to the door.

“So, see ya tomorrow. Was nice to meet you.” They hugged and he hold on for a moment longer than necessary.

“Okay, gotta go now” he whispered and let go of her. She stood in the door and waved as he walked backwards before he vanished behind the turn. Before she went back in she saw Lzzy peering through the opposite door, smiling knowingly.


	2. Meeting For The Second Time

It was half eleven. Michael had been roaming around his room for hours now. First he woke up early in the morning, it was not even eight by then. Through the night he had been envisioning how the meeting with her would go. He then had spent his time looking up information about her on the internet. So he learned how she had ended up singing on stage with Halestorm. But now he thought it a mistake. She either could account him a stalker or they later had nothing to talk about as he already knew a lot about her. It was all rather unnerving.

After he had shut his laptop he looked into his suitcase to find a suitable outfit which led to the next crisis. What should he wear? A band shirt or a regular black tee or one of his beloved checkered shirts? Black pants or denims? Chucks or boots? All these questions did not improve his mood in any way. He ended up closing his eyes and grabbing random pieces of clothing. The last time he had been this nervous in anticipation to meet a girl was when he dated his very first girlfriend. But that was years ago. He had actually expected himself a lot more relaxed when these things were concerned.

In the end he was ready, finally. He shoved his wallet in the back pocket of his pants and the key card and his phone in his denim jacket. When he left the room he met Calum in the hallway.

"Where are you gonna go?" he asked, a teasing smile in his face.

"None of your business" he muttered and proceeded down the hallway. He could still hear him laugh as he reached the lift.

With a fiercely beating heart he walked out of the hotel and hoped to find the cafe where he wanted to meet her. As he had never really been in Philly he couldn't find his bearings around here. They had had a few stops on past tours but have only ever moved back and forth between hotel and venue.  
While looking on his phone he navigated his way through the throngs of people. When he eventually reached the cafe she was already waiting for him. Her look was much less dramatic than the night before but she still looked gorgeous. Instead of the black top and shorts she wore a red tee with swallows, denim Capri pants and red canvas sneakers. The cherry on top of all this Rockabilly attitude were red lipstick and a black bandana tied in her hair. She was so much different than the majority of their fans. Still, she liked their music a lot as she had told him yesterday night. That was actually not to be expected when he considered her favorite type of music: hard rock and heavy metal. She was unbiased enough to give him insight of where she classified them in the music genres. In her opinion they were much closer to One Direction than, let's say, Green Day. But in fact they were. It was never their aim to be accepted in the hard rock domain. Their business was pop, they just played it a little harder. He knew that himself.

When he came in her sight her face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Michael, I'm glad you made it. Have you been taking wrong turns?" she said as she walked towards him.

That remark made him check the time and left him terrified. He had let her wait for nearly twenty minutes. Immediately, he was embarrassed to the bones. "Hey, how are you? Gosh, I'm so sorry! Yeah, obviously I got lost somewhere along the way although I had my phone. Dunno how that happened. I'm sorry." He apologized repeatedly.

But apparently the joy to finally see him was stronger than any anger about him coming too late. Together they walked into the cafe which was all mahogany wood and plush armchairs.

"Wow, this looks expensive!" she mumbled and sat down. It proved to be true. The longer she read the menu the wider her eyes opened. Although she had earned a little fortune by being the author of the most recent twilight novel she was still in 'poor student'-mode who had to check every penny twice. No one could blame her for that as that was the mentality she had grown up with and had lived under for her whole life except the past year.

Michael noticed her unease and dared to touch her hand comfortingly. "No worries, I'm inviting you, remember?"

She hesitated a moment before she nodded. "Okay, but these prices are still insane. No matter how much money you have. This is ridiculous."

In the meantime a waiter had approached them. She reflected another moment about the menu then sighed. “Fine. I’ll take a water and a Caesar Salad.”

She closed the menu while Michael made his order “I’d like to have a Coke and the Sirloin steak.”

She raised an eyebrow when the waiter was gone. “Do you really take a steak for nearly thirty dollars? I mean, I get it. This is a fancy place, you’re a rock star and all that but still. I worked in a pub once and we sold Sirloin on special for ten euro, which is about twelve or thirteen dollars. Where’s the relation in all this?” She didn’t want to sound too upset about that and knew perfectly well that she was about to destroy their real first date but she couldn’t help it. That place made her sick in some sort. Not his company though, it was lovely to have him around.

But instead of becoming distant his eyes widened in excitement. “You’ve worked in a pub? I bet that was some awesome shit. Where was that?”

She sighed internally. He didn’t take her tone personally, thank Goodness. “Why, it was hard work, up to ten, sometimes eleven hours in the kitchen takes it out of you. But it was fun, so many friendly and crazy people, better than the call center job I had before. You see, I spent eight months in Ireland after my graduation, worked there and travelled a little. I had some of the best times of my life there.”

He looked like she had just told him where the Queen’s Crown Jewels were hidden. Before he could respond, the waiter came with their orders. She eyed their meals for a moment, comparing them again with the dishes she had to make back then and shook her head. But she didn’t say anything. His enthusiasm about her slowly mesmerized her. She’d never been liked that much before. It was giddying to no end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't plan a second chapter to this but I got asked to do so and now I'm quite glad I wrote it.


End file.
